CUCKOO'S TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2011

People keep saying new music is crap but I don't believe it. Out of the 50 albums or so that I reviewed this year, I can honestly say I'd recommend atleast 80% of them which is pretty good. Granted I did do some digging to find some of this stuff...but it's worth it when you find it.

It wasn't that tough a decision to narrow down my top 10 seeing as I awarded only 10 albums with 5 "stars".

(click on the names for the mini-reviews)

10. BLUE SKY BLACK DEATH / Noir

9. THE CURE / Bestival Live 2011

8. PJ HARVEY / Let England Shake

7. THE WAR ON DRUGS / Slave Ambient

6. VESPERTINA / The Waiting Wolf

5. TOM WAITS / Bad As Me

4. ANDREW JACKSON JIHAD / Knife Man

3. LYDIA LOVELESS / Indestructible Machine

2. LYKKE LI / Wounded Rhymes

1. FRANK TURNER / England Keep My Bones


Some honorable mentions go to:

BANG DATA / Maldito Carnaval
BLINK-182 / Neighborhoods
DIRTY BEACHES / Badlands
DOOMTREE / No Kings
DUM DUM GIRLS / Only In Dreams
DAVID LYNCH / Crazy Clown Time
JEFF MARTIN 777 / The Ground Cries Out
PUSCIFER / Conditions Of My Parole
ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS / Songs Of Man
VARIOUS ARTISTS / Drive (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

LYDIA LOVELESS / Indestructible Machine [2011]

21 year old Lydia Loveless proves that country music girls don't have to be bubbly blond pop-tarts disguised as cosmetic commercial models.
On her debut, Indestructible Machine, Loveless wows with her full-bodied expressive voice decorated with colorful language and an unapologetic attitude. With her knack of entertaining punk-flavored songwriting and tongue-in-cheek lyrics, Loveless is a name to keep an eye on.
In a music wasteland of American Idol "country" girls, Lydia Loveless' Indestructible Machine is more than welcome and hopefully just the beginning of a long and successful career.

5 Steve Earle stalking victims out of 5

Songs Of Note: Can't Change Me; Jesus Was A Wino